WOW...get ready...this is really really long....tis the season!

Well....What a few weeks it's been here!!! :) There is alot of joy overflowing in my heart right now, so I've got to elaborate on all of it....for those of you who don't already know this my family all lives here now!!! My mom moved out here after getting a job at Remuda Ranch about 2 weeks after Mason was born, and dad's been back and forth from Indiana trying to sell their house there, be here to visit, etc. and just this past week...dad and nathan decided to move on out!!! YIPPEE! so they are renting a house in surprise right now...it's so nice and has a pool and everything! Jason's at ASU having so much fun and Mara's still living up in Anthem....so everyone has moved here! YAHH!!!!! I must say...it's the best christmas present ever to have so much family in such close proximity! We are so blessed, we have almost all of the hodges here (shannon and vaka...we miss you terribly!) and now all of my family too! What an amazing Christmas it has already been....and such fun to come!

This past sunday we had Christmas with my family in their new house....the moving truck got there saturday the 15th and we were determined to get unloaded as much as possible and decorated in time to have Christmas together on the 16th....and we did it!!! :) So sunday afternoon we had our Christmas at mom and dad's new house! HOW FUN and EXCITING! it is SO great being able to DRIVE to mom and dad's house again...I am just so thrilled about it. SO first of all...here are some pictures from the move and from our Christmas together! :) captions included...haha!
Nice candid shot of some laughter...

Uncle Nathan and Mas...playing...

the traditional family picture by the tree...

Mas in his new beanie from Mimi and Grandpa reading with Santa and Mrs. Claus :)

Playing with Grandpa and Aunt Mara...and her cute new bangs hehe

Mason opening his gifts...he cared more about eating the paper, but he LOVES his new things now :)

My beautiful sis...

Grandpa showing Mason the waterfall by the pool...keeping him all bundled up...

now my beautiful mom...and my 'baby bangs' actually that's just hair growing back that fell out after i had mason, lovely ;)

some house pictures...

the broken (thank goodness) donkey from the previous owner ha...

and the kitchen....YAh!


So we had SO much fun Sunday with everyone. Mason's first Christmas at Mimi and Grandpa's was a BLAST! As i a said a few times before, i'm SO happy they live here now! :) we love that!!! Merry CHristmas!!!! :)

Continuing on....I have to say I haven't dedicated too many blogs to our AMAZING friends, I never really have my camera that often so I don't have thousands of pictures but NO excuses, I have enough to put up a blog from our Christmas party so that's what I'm moving on to next...our awesome home team...and 'extended' home team...I could go on and on about the relationships we've formed with these individuals since we've moved to Arizona...we love them all so much and have SO much fun when we're with them...we always look forward to getting together and as you can see...the boys have the time of their lives playing guitar hero or rock band whatever it may be...(i can't lie, the girls often rock out too) We are so thankful for the friends that the Lord has blessed us with, and I know that no matter WHERE we are...we'll always be close. (no time to get emotional right now because of a certain situation, although i could...another blog will be specifically towards that situation....you know who you are hahah) That will take way more than a few sentences! here are some pictures from our Christmas party at the Rudds...enjoy :)
Bethany threw a great party...quite the hostess :) and her adorable little guy Noah...

Sing it Eddie...

Miss Nikki loving on Mason...

Visiting around the table :)

and ahh...last but not least, the rockband photo, HA!


What a fun night, with great friends. we love you guys!

So....moving right along :) by the way this blog has as of right now, has taken me 50 minutes, either I'm really slow or it's entirely too long. Okay...well... I have to say I'm LOVING having little Ryan (our neice) on my days off...it's been SO much fun and she's such a good little girl! she's starting to get bigger and has the cutest chubby little cheeks....I took some pictures of her and Mason today playing together and had to put them up! She was laying next to Mason and he kept smiling at her, it was so cute, he loves his little cousin! and we LOVE having her here with us....here are some pictures of Ry Ry and Mason....
Mason's smiling at his little cousin...he was so into her today! :) i had to keep him from hitting her (his excited thumping of his arms, not intentional hitting haha)

Uncle Brent and Ry Ry...

So sweet she is...cashed out in Mas' crib (she even loved the sports mobile :) hehe)

another playing picture...

and another, I love these babies, our days together are SO much fun!


We're sure looking forward to all of Brent's family coming into town on Friday and Saturday! It's going to be such a fun week of being together!!! We've got our grocery list made, the house is getting there :) the cars cleaned out, laundry done...we're getting ready...for FUN week with family!

So...last but not least (I'm sorry you're thinking, SHUT UP ALREADY) HA, but if you've hung with me this long, thanks! because i think that's more than I would be able to say if I had to read my own blogs hahah!! but, I've got to take a minute to love on my family. I have the most AMAZING husband and little boy you could ever imagine. Brent has been SO great at helping around the house, doing little things here and there that add up and help me SO much. When we were married I didn't know how I could love him anymore but I'm seeing daily that I'm falling more and more in love with him. He is my very best friend, my support, my knight in shining armor (cheesy I know but he'd take down anybody if he had to for me), and the most incredible father to Mason...besides he makes me laugh hysterically daily and I LOVE that about him. Brent...I am so glad I'm married to you, and this Christmas is SO exciting, I just look forward to everything with YOU, I'm so lucky I get to go through life with you!

And Mason, Oh my. He's melting my heart lately. As he's becoming more interactive I'm finding that I'm loving each and everything he's doing MORE AND MORE! and they say it just gets better and better, I sometimes think...HOW can it get any better? I am just so happy. Mason is eating like a champ right now (he throws a fit when his thing of veggies or fruit is gone...so sometimes he gets seconds haha)he's talking constantly, and there is NO better sound than listening to your baby laugh, coo, giggle. That instantly puts a smile on my face. Tonight when I was cleaning out the refrigerator brent was upstairs playing with Mason and I could hear them through the monitor, Mason was just CRACKING up at brent, and squealing SO loudly...it was so sweet. I am trying to take advanatage of each little thing because he's growing up SO fast...and I don't want to EVER forget any of this. One of my MANY favorites right now....his kisses. He opens his mouth SO big and plants big wet ones right on me, I love them. I also love when he's done eating, he'll just lay and stare smiling at me touching my face and i'll say something to him, and he'll coo back at me, we'll have a conversation back and forth for a while, he'll just be talking and squealing, it's another favorite...Okay, so since this blog is already so long, I'll quit rambling, here are some new ones of our little guy....Mason Isaac...the love of our lives.
Happy to be in bed...chewing on his duckie...

talking to his mommy...

What good looking boys....:)

Mas and I...

check out that hair...

happy baby...


Merry Christmas Everyone!!!! This blog makes up for lost time, and we'll post again after Christmas. :) I love you, especially if you read this whole blog, I really love you. HA! Jess